


Way Down Below

by FullmetalFlameElric



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Derek Uses His Words, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Future Fic, Kid Fic, Lydia Martin & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Nightmares, Past Character Death, Scott Has Issues, Single Parent Stiles, Slow Build, Stydia Brotp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-16
Updated: 2014-02-15
Packaged: 2018-01-12 15:04:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1189614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FullmetalFlameElric/pseuds/FullmetalFlameElric
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s been ten years since senior year. Eleven since the events with the Nogitsune. The pack has dispersed and spread out with only two remaining behind in Beacon Hills. Everyone has their own lives, their own families to think of. Most keep in touch as often as they can. Derek, not so much. He moves around a lot. Has spent a lot of time out of the country. Life was quiet. Until he received a voicemail calling him back home. It was a visit long over due.</p>
<p>Stiles Stilinski has been through a lot. Getting married, becoming a father, he made a comfortable life for himself. But with the recent passing of his wife, he has to find a way to raise two kids on his own while barely managing to get by. With his sanity already fragile with the events of his past, Stiles is coping as best he can. His children need him and he doesn’t have much of a choice but to pull himself together and soldier on.</p>
<p>He expected there to be bumps along the way.</p>
<p>He expected to have to make sacrifices.</p>
<p>What he wasn’t expecting was for Derek Hale to show up at his door in response to a call he’d made two years prior.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Way Down Below

**Author's Note:**

> So this is... I don't know what this is. But it's something. This is the first chapter/prologue for a fic that I have no idea how long it'll end up being. It's going to be a mix of humor and dark. Things will be explained slowly and spread out through out chapters. So if something seems to be missing, it'll likely be talked about in a later chapter.
> 
> And before anyone asks, the main story begins in the next chapter, which I already have 4000 words of written. It might take me a bit to get chapters out because I'm aiming for length for them.
> 
> Song in the shop is "Pretty Little Psycho" by Porcelain Black  
> Song in the rest of the fic and inspiration of the title/theme for the fic is "Heaven Knows" by The Pretty Reckless

Beacon Hills was finally quiet. People weren’t dying in freak accidents. There were no longer any sudden and unexplainable animal attacks. No mysterious disappearances. Nothing. It was as if, after everything, the Argents, the Kanima, the Darach, the Alpha pack, and finally the Nogitsune, the Nemeton quieted down. Everything went back to normal, as normal as it could get. The pack, though far from unaffected, focused on being teenagers.

Senior year came and went. They graduated, Lydia Martin acting Valedictorian. Scott accepted the full ride scholarship he’d been awarded and went off to college in New York City. Lydia joined him. Both majored in business. Scott started working for a big shot business and Lydia opened up her own PR agency for aspiring actors and celebrities. Aiden went with Lydia to New York. Much to a lack of shock from anyone, he got a job as a bodyguard. Danny and Ethan stuck together. They got married soon as Danny had graduated college and moved out to Washington D.C. where Danny had been offered a job working for a security company. Ethan was, amusingly enough, a stay at home day care provider for their neighborhood. It turned out, the guy was a natural with kids. Kira and Allison both got their degrees in archeology. Halfway through their last year, they were given the chance to finish their requirements while working at a dig site in South America. Cora went with them, acting as a translator. Isaac stayed in Beacon Hills, attending the local community college. He finished his nursing degree with the help of Melissa McCall and soon enough, started working at the trauma center at the local hospital. Derek hung around until the pack graduated. He mostly did odd jobs around town and helped out the Sheriff when he needed it. But it didn’t take long for him to leave again. He wandered around for a while before falling off the grid once more. And Stiles, he stayed in Beacon Hills, attending the local college and getting a degree in social work. Isaac and Lydia were the only two he still kept regular contact with, the others having drifted apart.

The last year they were all around had been tense. No one wanted to talk about what had happened. And it was obvious that they were far from ok. But they were forced together for their last year in school, plastering on smiles and pretending they were happy, pretending that no one noticed when they avoided eye contact with one another. They were stuck. But the second they were free, they scattered, a broken pack taken to the wind. Their pack ties shattered and they spread out. They needed time to heal, time to themselves to settle with what they had done, with what they had learned about themselves and the people they’d called their friends. They made phone calls, texted, even emailed. But in the end, some of them just stopped responding altogether.

Half a year went by and Beacon Hills was lonely. But the two remaining made it work.

-

Stiles was running late. Very late. At this rate, he would be lucky to make it into the classroom, ten minutes after class had started. He could only hope his professor would forgive him. After all, he was always in class and one of the hardest working students the professor had this semester. He actually enjoyed his gender studies course, finding the topic fascinating and great for discussion. But there was no way he would be able to make it through class today without his coffee fix. He’d stayed up way too late helping Isaac study for his upcoming winter finals. And of course, today would be the day he discovered he’d forgotten to pick up coffee when he’d gone grocery shopping two days before. Freshman year of college and already he was dependant on caffeine. What was he doing with his life?

Getting his order from the barista, he offered a tired, but thankful smile and muttered a quick thanks. He turned to leave only to pause. He’d scanned the shop out of habit as he’d turned, his gaze catching on a solitary figure sitting at one of the window tables. The woman had a laptop out in front of her, a sketchbook in her hands as she guided a pencil languidly across the paper with an ease Stiles had only seen in seasoned artists. She was fair skinned, her dyed black hair buzzed on one side, the other angled sharply to fall just about level with her eyes. Her nose was pierced twice, once through the septum, another to the side. The center of her lower lip had a labret through it, the same stark silver that adorned her left eyebrow. And from what he could see, she doubled the amount of jewelry in just one ear alone.

Glancing around the cafe, Stiles contemplated whether or not he should even attempt to approach the young woman dressed in black. After All, there was a literary goldmine of pop culture references to be had from her appearance alone. He was deciding against it, honestly, until she looked up and out the window. At that second, the dim lighting of the winter sun hit her face just right, lighting up the green of her eyes. Stiles stopped breathing suddenly, his interest peaked and he found himself making his way over before he’d even consciously made the decision to move.

He managed to stop a few steps away from her table. He should turn around and leave. Just walk away before he made a fool of himself. In fact, he was going to do that now. As soon as his feet connected with his brain.

Any second now.

“Can I help you?”

Stiles blinked and offered a sheepish grin. “Uh… Wow, sorry. I had some witty line I was prepared to use and charm you with, but shockingly I seem to have forgotten how to talk to a beautiful woman. So I’ll just… go-”

There was a soft laugh that made Stiles pause. He chanced a glance back to her and found an easy smile aimed back at him. “You’re cute…” She stated, shifting her things on the table and making more room. “Wanna join me?” 

Stiles blinked a few times, glancing around as if she were possibly talking to someone behind him. There was no way a girl was actually inviting him to sit with her. No way. Nope. No one there. “Really?”

She chuckled and nodded. “Really.”

Making sure not to do anything else to embarrass himself, he slipped into the seat across from her, his book bag being set on the floor. She watched him, tilting her head a bit as she waited.

“So why’d you come over here? Wanted to see what it was like to ‘sell your soul for the best night of your life’?” She asked, sounding like she was quoting something she’d heard numerous occasions.

Stiles lifted a brow and shook his head. “No.. No, I was actually… kind of distracted by the color of your eyes…” He paused and floundered for a moment before letting out a weak chuckle. “Wow that was really cheesy.”

That earned him another laugh and the young woman set her pencil aside. Those same green eyes focused on him, clearly interested now. Stiles shifted a bit in his seat, nervous under the gaze.

“So uh… Could I get your name? Or should I just call you Lisbeth Salander and let you keep your secret identity?” He asked, somehow managing to keep from tripping over his own tongue.

The woman lifted a finely darkened eyebrow. “Well I do like to remain a mystery… But I think I can risk it just once.” She hummed, relaxing into her seat now that she was sure he wasn’t about to pull anything. “I’m Caroline.”

A real grin this time and Stiles found he quite liked the smile she offered in return. “Well, Caroline, it’s a privilege to meet you. I’m Stiles.”

Caroline managed to snort back a laugh at that. “Stiles? Ok, now you’re messing with me.”

“I’m really not. It’s a nickname shortened from my last name, Stilinski.” Stiles explained, taking a sip of his coffee and giving her a second. “My given name is an abomination to the English language and never to mentioned. Ever.”

“Oh really? And what, pray tell, is so horrible you refuse to say it aloud?” Caroline asked, leaning her head on her hand. She was clearly interested, her eyes sparkling with a life Stiles had been craving since his junior year of high school.

Sighing, he pulled out a notebook and scribbled down a jumble of letters. He slid it over and Caroline frowned down at the simple “Grzegorz” scrawled in quick, slightly messy writing. He had clearly lost his mind. Never had he given his name out so easily. Not even Lydia knew it. And she knew everything.

“How do you-”

“Promise we’ll never speak of it again if I tell you?”

“Of course.”

“Seriously. This is a matter of national security.” Stiles stated, expression serious, despite the obvious joke.

Caroline smirked, leaning closer and looking up through her eyelashes. “Oh really?”

“Mhm. I’d tell you why, but I’d have to kill you.”

This time a real laugh and Caroline nodded. “I think I can keep it a secret then.”

“I’m going to need more than just your word to trust you with this information.” Stiles prompted, almost unable to believe this was actually happening.

Closing her sketchbook, Caroline held his gaze. “And what will it take to convince you to trust me?”

“How about you give me your number and we’ll call it even?”

Caroline blinked surprised for a second before blushing. She dug through her art kit and pulled out a permanent marker. Reaching forward, she gripped his wrist and pulled forward, pushing up the sleeve to his plaid shirt. Uncapping the marker with her teeth, she scribbled down her number before capping it once more and putting it away. “I’m expecting a phone call…” she hinted. “So… your name?”

Stiles blinked, mouth agape slightly before clearing his throat and snapping out his trance. Oh god, forget classes. He was going to need a nice long cold shower after this. “G-je-go-sh…” He managed.

-

“Oh my god… Lydia!” Stiles hissed, setting his phone between his shoulder and ear as he made his way from his bathroom and to his room, a towel wrapped around his waist and water still dripping from his hair.

“Stiles? What’s wrong?” Lydia’s voice sounded from the other end of the line. She could hear him shuffling around and the echoed sound of his slightly panicked breathing.

“Lydia! I need your help!” Stiles gasped, darting into his room and making his way directly for his closet. He only had a two hours to make sure he was ready. “I need your help. I have a date tonight and I have no idea what to wear. I need to get dressed. I need to make sure I remember the flowers I picked up earlier. I need to-” he paused and lifted a hand to his jaw, frowning. “I need to shave.”

“Oh wow, you actually have to shave once a month, now?” Lydia snarked from her end of the conversation. Stiles let out a disgruntled sound and she laughed. “Oh honey. Relax, ok? So you have a date?”

“Yes. Yes I do. And I am so not ready for this.” The young man muttered, digging through his closet only to let out a pathetic whine. He could almost hear Lydia roll her eyes.

“Hang up. Call me back on Skype. I’ll help you find something.”

He didn’t get a chance to protest, the call ending seconds later and he being left with a dial tone. Groaning, he tossed his phone onto his bed and dug out his laptop, booting it up before logging into Skype. Lydia picked up after the first ring, rolling her eyes in greeting.

“Oh my god, please get underwear on.”

“I have a towel on, thank you very much…” Stiles grumbled, going to his dresser and pulling out a black pair of boxer briefs and slipping into them. On screen, Lydia was tapping away at her ipad, shaking her head and muttering to herself.

“You dressed?”

“I have underwear on.” Stiles muttered, clearly unamused.

Lydia just hummed. “Good. Now go put on the black skinny jeans I bought you last time I visited. As well as that black shirt.”

Pulling out the jeans, Stiles frowned at them in distaste. He glanced back at the screen and lifted a brow. “Black shirt? I’m gonna need you to be a little more specific there, Lydia.” He grumbled, grudgingly pulling on the constricting pants. He was partially regretting wearing anything underneath and at the same time glad he had. The last thing he needed was to be in pain for the night.

Lydia finally lifted her gaze and smirked. “Like a glove…” she purred, setting the tablet aside and settling into her chair. “Good. Now. The black shirt. The one that I made sure was fitted to you?”

“You just want me to uncomfortable tonight, don’t you?” Stiles grumbled, digging through a drawer to find the shirt. There was a quick knock and suddenly Isaac was entering.

“Hey, Stiles! I’m ordering chinese, you want anyth-”

“OH MY GOD!” Stiles shrieked, nearly flying across the room before he grabbed the first shirt he could and daintily held it over his chest. Isaac just stood there stunned. It was silent in the room for a long moment before Stiles slowly lowered his shirt and glanced around sheepishly. “Uh…. sorry… um… what’d you need?”

Eying his roommate warily, Isaac just shook his head. “What are you doing? And why are you giving Lydia a strip tease?”

Lydia let out a rather unladylike snort and laughed. “Oh god no! He wishes. No, Stiles has a date and begged for my fashion expertise.” She explained, lifting a hand going back to the filing of her nails she had started moments before Isaac had barged (rudely) into Stiles’ room.

“Ah… wait, Stiles has a date?”

“What’s the tone for?!” Stiles yelped, finding the shirt and pulling it on. “I’m insulted, Isaac! I’ll have you know I am perfect boyfriend material!”

“In what country?” Isaac asked, tilting his head and smirking.

“I don’t have to stand for this form of verbal slander!” Stiles huffed, making his way back to his closet and tripping over his towel. He hit the floor and groaned, Isaac shaking his head and leaving while he still could.

“Don’t hurt yourself, Stiles. You need to be in tip top shape in order to woo your lady. Now.. find something nice to go over that and let me look at you.” Lydia ordered from her tiny video prison on the screen.

Stiles grumbled and crawled his way to the closet. Once back on his feet, he dug out one of his nicer red checkered shirts and slipped it on, leaving it unbuttoned. Making sure the sleeves were rolled up and the collar straightened, he stepped into view for Lydia. She frowned, looking him over with a critical eye before nodding.

“You look good. Now, I want to know how the date goes as soon as you get home, alright?”

It was Stiles’ turn to roll his eyes. “Yes, Lydia. I’ll call you tonight and fill you in on the details.”

“Atta boy. Now go have fun.”

Needless to say, Stiles didn’t call her until noon the next day.

-

Pushing the shop door opened, Stiles almost moaned happily at the feeling of the air conditioned air, having just left the humid air of a Northern Californian summer heatwave. From the shop speakers, he could hear the notes of music drifting into the cool air.

_Black lipstick just like a cat_   
_Have you purrin' on your back_   
_Tip the glass_   
_Now light it up_   
_Rebel, rebel can't get enough_

There was the buzz of a needle and Stiles glanced around, trying to keep calm. At the far end of the shop, a woman with vibrant red hair was putting the finishing touches on a man’s tattoo. Stiles forced his gaze away from there and grinned when he finally found the woman he was looking for. Behind the main counter, Caroline was flipping through papers.

Making his way over, Stiles just let the warm feeling in his chest settle. He reached the counter and leaned against it, setting the bag of requested items on it as well. “What do you now, Lisbeth dragged herself away from her computer for once?” He greeted in a light purr.

Green eyes snapped up and Caroline grinned. “Hey. I didn’t expect you for another hour.” she muttered, glancing to where her coworker was cleaning up and covering the new tattoo.

Stiles just shrugged. “Eh, prof for Human Behavior sent a class wide email. Class was cancelled and I decided to be errand boy now and see if you wanted anything for lunch since I’m here.”

Caroline chuckled and set the bag behind the counter, leaning forward and stealing a quick kiss. “I swear, you can’t be real sometimes. Not only do you pick up tampons when your girlfriend is scatter brained enough to forget, you do it without question or complaint, and now you’re offering lunch?”

“You gotta remember, a good half of my friends are women. I got used to tampon runs when I was in high school.” Stiles responded, rolling his eyes at the memories. “And believe me, you have never met anyone pickier than Lydia Martin.”

“I still want to meet this woman.” Caroline added, nudging him in the shoulder. She shifted and stepped out from the counter, stopping at the far end where Stiles met her. Back at the register, her coworker was taking a payment and handing over the man’s receipt.

“Well, you’re going to get to. She’s flying out for a visit this next week. I was wondering if you’d be up to dinner that evening? She’s kind of really eager to meet you too.”

Caroline smiled and nodded. “Of course.” She replied, pulling him closer as she leaned her back against the counter. “I’m always up to spending time with you. And besides, this is a chance to get to meet one of your closest friends.”

“Mmmhmm.. you say that now.” Stiles muttered, leaning down and kissing her. His hands settled on her hips, drawing her in as her arms looped loosely around his neck and a hand slid into his hair. For a short moment, it was just the two of them. All he could focus on was the already familiar feel of her against him.

Someone cleared their throat and the two pulled away. Caroline cleared her throat and looked at her coworker sheepishly. “Sorry…” she muttered, brushing her bangs back. “Uh… speaking of friends, Stiles this is Maria. She’s my-”

“Best friend.” The redheaded woman stated. This close, Stiles could see it was more of a pink red than an actual fire engine red he’d previously thought. The pixie cut was wavy, the longer strands kept back by a white and black checkered ribbon. Her straight cut bangs fell only half way down her forehead, leaving the rest of her pale face open. She was dressed in a simple white sun dress with a black ribbon wrapped around the waist and tied into a bow in the back. The only other splash of color on her other than her hair was the large sleeve tattoo on her right arm with water and koi fish decorating it.

Stiles just offered a smile and held his hand out in greeting. “I’m Stiles.”

She eyed his hand for a second before shaking it, smirking. “Oh I know. Caroline hasn’t shut up about you yet.” She looked him up and down before nodding once in approval. “Care, take a lunch break. I don’t have another tattoo appointment for another hour and I can handle any piercings that come in.” She clapped Caroline on the shoulder and nodded to Stiles once more before slipping into the back room to get more cleaner for the tattoo chair.

“She’s uh…”

“Interesting. Yeah. Good person though. Come on. I believe you mentioned food?”

Chuckling, Stiles nodded. “I did.”

-

Lydia tossed her bag into the back of the jeep and eyed the vehicle. “You need a new car.” She muttered, climbing in.

From his spot behind the wheel, Stiles rolled his eyes and put the jeep into gear once she was inside and her door shut once more. “I missed you too, Lydia..” he grumbled, pulling away from the curb and exiting the airport. Lydia just scoffed.

“Of course you missed me.” She reached over and patted his thigh before fixing her hair. “I missed you too.” She added. “So.. what’s the plan?” she turned her green eyes towards Stiles, tilting her head in that expectant way Stiles was so familiar with.

“Well, we’re gonna drop your stuff at the apartment. And then we’ll go pick Caroline up from work. We’ll head to the diner after that for dinner. Isaac can’t join us cause he’s working. And I hope you don’t mind we’re not going anywhere fancy-”

“Stiles, it’s fine. I just want to get to know the woman you’re obviously head over heels for.” Lydia hummed, smiling now and leaning back in her seat.

Stiles glanced over at her before back to the road. A smile slowly formed and he relaxed a bit more. “I’m glad you’re here… it’s been way too long since you visited last. And I know Caroline’s going to love you…”

He was right. They hit it off within seconds of meeting one another.

-

“So… therapy?” Caroline asked, relaxing against the hood of the jeep. Overhead, the sky was clear and stars glittered, painting the milky way in a pallet of colors ranging from blues to oranges. For once the full moon didn’t bring a sense of dread. Just a few feet away, Isaac and Lydia were talking in soft voices to Allison and Kira. The two girls had managed to get a week vacation and had come home for the full moon, wanting to relive the few good memories they had of pack. It was a good thing too, as Isaac had recently moved out and into a place with his current boyfriend. They kept werewolf talk to silence partially due to Caroline’s presence, but mostly due to their own reluctance to talk about it.

Stiles nodded, shifting a bit. It was something he’d mentioned in passing. It was a topic they’d found themselves on now that their conversation had reached that point, music slowly playing from the radio Isaac had brought along.

“Yeah. I uh… I went through some shit in high school because some people wanted to.. get back at my dad….” He explained, using the same story he’d given his therapist. The same one that was on file in the official reports. “It wasn’t the easiest thing, but hey, what can ya do, right? It happened and I’m working through it.”

Caroline shifted a bit closer and nodded. “I get it. My dad had a temper so… I get it.” Between them, their fingers intertwined and Stiles gave her smaller hand a gentle squeeze. A smile tugged at her lips and he leaned in.

“I love you..”

“I love you too.” She replied, closing the distance and stealing a quick, but no less loving, kiss. They settled against the jeep once more, shoulders touching as they gazed up at the sky.

“You know, I used to stargaze all the time? Wasn’t the easiest in San Francisco, but I still managed on really clear nights.” Caroline hummed, lifting a red nailed finger and tracing the outline of a constellation in the air.

“The preserve has some of the best spots for it.. I used to come out here and think.. It was something all of us did. And we knew, if someone had a bad day, they’d be out here staring at the sky and the rest of us would eventually find our ways there with them…”

His mind drifted back to long nights spread out in the very same spot, the pack gathered around and talking. Kira and Allison laughing with Scott. Isaac and Lydia trading stories while the twins lounged nearby. Stiles had always taken up purchase on the nearest vehicle, usually ending up talking with a mostly silent Derek.

He pushed the memory aside and tuned back in as Caroline grinned. “Oh! I love this song!” She stated, letting her head tilted back as she started singing with the lyrics.

“Jimmy's in the back with a pocket of high  
If you listen close  
You can hear him cry  
Oh, lord, heaven knows  
We belong way down below”

Stiles just watched her, that warm feeling in his chest growing and tightening happily as his heart skipped a beat. Her voice was nowhere near as rough as that of the female vocalist in the song, but it was still as beautiful as the woman it belonged to. He was head over heels for her and he knew the others knew it too. He could feel them watching him, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care.

She laughed softly and turned her green gaze to him, the starlight catching them just right and making them glow with the light of the moon.

_Sing it_   
_Oh, lord, heaven knows_   
_We belong way down below_   
_Way down below, way down below_

-

Dropping Caroline off at work, Stiles pulled her into a kiss before he let her go. She grinned over her shoulder before slipping inside the shop and disappearing from sight. From the back, Lydia climbed out and jumped into the front seat, smirking. It was her third second visit and she had been pleasantly surprised to find Stiles and Caroline sharing the apartment. The redhead flicked her braid over her shoulder and buckled in.

“So… I assume there’s a reason you wanted me to keep my mouth shut about heading to the next town over?” She prompted, settling in for the hour long drive they had ahead of them.

Stiles shrugged and flicked on the radio station. “I need your help picking out something…”

The woman paused in her task of checking her hair in the visor mirror. Slowly, she slid her gaze to the brunet, head tilted as she eyed him closely. “...Why?”

Stiles was hesitant. She could tell. But it wouldn’t deter her. If there was one thing Lydia Martin was, it was stubborn.

“Stiles…”

“I need help picking out a ring.” He finally blurted, his cheeks heating up and turning a lovely shade of pink. Lydia’s eyes widened and she perked up.

“Oh my god… you’re going to propose…”

Stiles just nodded, keeping his mouth shut for the moment. He twitched when Lydia let out a high pitched squeal. 

“Of course I’ll help you! Ah! Stiles, I’m so happy for you!” She cheered.

That got a laugh from the young man. He glanced at her for a second and shook his head. “Settle down, Lyds. Come on. I haven’t even asked her yet and I don’t know if she’ll say yes.”

“Of course she’ll say yes.” Lydia stated with a nod, knowing this for a fact. “She loves you. It’s easy for anyone with eyes to see just from how she looks at you.”

“We won’t know for sure until I ask her….”

“So what are you planning then?” Lydia asked, shifting in her seat to face him more directly now.

“Well..” Stiles muttered, shifting a bit and sighing. “I was thinking of taking her out to the preserve. She likes the stars… so put together a picnic and wait till the right moment. Probably a month from now? I won’t be swamped with finals and it won’t be too hot or cold out.”

Lydia hummed, nodding. “I still commend you for finishing your degree in under two years.” She added, knowing Stiles had packed on as many credits as he could in high school and worked through classes online during the summer to pull it off. He even had a job lined up as soon as he graduated, working at the local social services building with teenagers. “But that sounds like the perfect idea. She’ll love it, Stiles.”

“I really hope so.”

She did. They were married that same year, putting their honeymoon off for a month before taking a two week long trip up north. They managed to fill half a photo album with the pictures they took and it became one of Caroline’s new hobbies while Stiles took to filming small snippets of everyday life with Caroline.

-

The cafe was quiet that Saturday morning, Stiles seated across from Lydia as the two talked. She was there for the weekend, having flown over to check in with her mother and taking the time to catch up with Stiles now that he was back. Had been for nearly a month actually.

“How’d it go?”

“Amazing.” Stiles stated, pausing to take a sip of his coffee and set it down once more. “It was great being just the two of us. But it’s good to be home too. At least now I can make sure my dad’s sticking to his heart healthy diet.”

Lydia just shook her head. “Of course you would worry about that during your honeymoon.” She licked her lips in thought before frowning. There had been a steady clicking sound since she’d gotten there. It was almost like something metal being tapped against a hard surface, but muffled. She shifted to look around the cafe.

“Lydia?”

She continued to look, pursing her lips together as she settled down into her chair once more. “You don’t hear that?”

Stiles’ head snapped up and a trace of fear flickered in his eye, spine straightening. “Hear what?” he asked, focusing completely on her now.

Lydia’s eyes widened and she grabbed his hands, squeezing them reassuringly. “Sweetie, calm down. Breathe, Stiles… I’m not hearing anything like that…”

The man let out a shaky breath and nodded, slowly working his body to relax again.

“It’s… like this tapping sound?” Lydia hinted, glancing around. “Like someone tapping a pen against a desk? Or… a piece of jewelry?”

Recognition sparked and Stiles actually laughed, sagging into his seat. “Oh! Oh god… that’s… that’s just the bar in my tongue.”

It was silent a second as Lydia looked him over skeptically. “You? A tongue piercing?” Stiles just nodded. “When did you get that done?”

“While we were gone. I kept asking Caroline all these questions about piercings and she managed to talk me into it.” Stiles muttered, shrugging like it was no big deal. It was. He was petrified of needles. Hated them. Getting a shot sucked and he usually had to be distracted unless he was tired enough for it to take forever to process what he was looking at. It had happened a few times after everything with the Nemeton.

Lydia just fixed him with an amused, knowing smirk. “How drunk were you?”

“When I agreed? Not at all. When we did it? Off my ass.” Stiles responded, laughing and shaking his head. “But, look, that’s a moot point right now. There’s a reason I wanted to talk to you. I know you’ve got to head out here soon and Caroline was hoping she could be here with us, but she had to work. But uh.. we wanted to tell you before you left back for New York.”

Lydia tilted her head, listening intently now. “Well, I’m listening.”

Stiles studied his close friend for a moment, the soft thoughtful clicking of the metal labret against his teeth the only sound coming from him. Whiskey brown eyes lit up and he grinned. “Caroline’s pregnant.”

The disgruntled looks from the cafe employees and the few patrons was enough to make the two leave, Lydia excitedly talking the entire time.

-

Lisbeth Erica Stilinski was born in the early hours of a Wednesday morning in the middle July after nearly twelve hours of labor. Stiles had barely managed to keep from passing out for the entire thing and Caroline had cursed his name in more ways than he’d ever known possible. But at the end of it, they had a healthy baby girl.

“She’s gorgeous, Stiles…” His dad muttered, grinning as he held his granddaughter for the first time.

The young man hummed, his ridiculously dopey grin still in place. Isaac had told him he looked high. Lydia had agreed with him. Stiles had been too happy to care. He snapped a quick picture of his dad and his daughter, checking it before setting the digital aside. “Yeah she is… Caroline is almost positive Lisbeth is going to look more like me. I hope not. Poor kid would have to grow up gangly and awkward.”

John just rolled his eyes and looked at his son. “Hush. Stilinski children, gangly limbs and all, are adorable. Your daughter will be no different.” He turned his gaze back to the sleeping baby in his arms and his gaze softened. “....I wish your mother could have been here to see this… She’d be so proud of you.”

Stiles let his smile soften around the edges and he nodded. “Yeah… yeah I wish she could have been here too…”

-

A sharp cry stirred Stiles from his sleep and he groaned. Beside him, Caroline let out a low grumble as she willed her tired body to move. Stiles just reached out and ran a hand down her back.

“Sleep. I’ll get her.” He muttered, picking himself up, feet landing on the cold floor. He hissed at the cold, pausing to rub his eyes quickly before he stood and made his way towards the nursery.

Slipping into the darkened room, the walls were lit by the soft glow of the night light. Following the soft whimpers of his daughter, Stiles made his way easily to the crib. Sighing, he reached down and lifted her into his arms. “Oh baby girl…” He cooed, holding her close to his chest and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Hush, baby girl. Daddy’s got you… Are you hungry? Is that why you’re awake?” He talked, rubbing her back. He quickly changed her diaper, making quick work of it before he lifted her into his arms once more.

Lisbeth gave a soft whimper and gripped the fabric of his shirt. Humming softly to her, he made his way from the nursery and down the stairs to the kitchen. The light over the sink was on, something they’d gotten into the habit of when Lisbeth had first been brought home.

He lightly bounced her on his hip as he went about making her a quick bottle. She made soft noises of content as he entertained her, rubbing their noses together and tickling her tummy lightly as he moved around the kitchen. Once it was ready, he moved over to the lazy boy and settled in, getting her set with the bottle. Once she was busy eating, he smiled down at her and sighed happily. “Yup… poor kid, you’re a Stilinski, that’s for sure.” He stated, letting his head rest back for a moment. Above him the off white ceiling was lit up by moonlight. He could only make a mental note to find a new color when he got the chance. They’d only been in the house for two months and they still had so much to do. But the first room that was going to get painted was that god awful teal and yellow master bathroom. He was going to paint that one room if it killed him. Now all he had to do was convince Caroline to let him.

He turned his gaze back to his daughter and hummed. Her eyes were turning a lovely shade of amber brown that were so similar to his own. And just last week, much to Stiles horror and Caroline’s joy, her hair had begun to turn that auburn color she’d obviously inherited from her daddy. She stared back up at him now, still diligently working at the bottle. “You got the Stilinski appetite too… Shoulda seen that one comin’.”

He shifted slightly, just enough to get comfortable, but not enough to disturb Lisbeth. “You know, one of these days, kid, you’re going to meet everyone in your family. And you’re going to have a lot of questions. And Daddy’s going to have a lot of answers. But they’re not all going to be answers you want to hear. And you’re going to hear things about your Daddy that are going to change what you think of Daddy. But know that it doesn’t mean I don’t love you…” He fell silent, rocking gently as he thought of the possibilities for Lisbeth’s future. “All I want is for you to grow up happy and safe. Give you that chance I never got…” he whispered.

-

Lisbeth was almost fourteen months when Stiles and Lisbeth got the news. He was seated in the living room with Lisbeth, the two of them on the floor. His legs were stretched out before him and Lisbeth was seated, messing with her father’s hands. He was honestly surprised that she wasn’t up and moving around. Lisbeth was one of those children that just couldn’t hold still.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs and Stiles looked up to see Caroline. She held a small white stick in her hand. Pausing on the first landing, she lifted her green gaze to him, worrying at her lower lip.

“Car?” Stiles inquired, waiting to find out what was going through her mind.

She glanced to Lisbeth before shuffling her feet. “It’s positive…” She muttered, a small smile breaking through.

“Positive?”

“Yeah…” She shrugged, hesitantly happy as she held Stiles’ gaze, waiting for a reaction. “I-I know Lisbeth’s still really young and we weren’t planning on having another kid so soon, but-”

A grin broke out and Stiles got to his feet. He checked to make sure Lisbeth was fine before he stepped over to the stairs. He reached out and lifted Caroline into his arms, spinning her around once and bringing her into a kiss.

“So it’s a little earlier than planned… Just means we’ll have another gorgeous baby in our family…”

Caroline grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I love you.”

“Love you too…”

-

“You ready?” Stiles asked, snagging her wife around her shoulders and pulling her to his side. He pressed a kiss to her temple and she rolled her eyes.

“Yes, Stiles. I’m ready. I just need to get my shoes and my coat.” Caroline muttered, nudging him away playfully and stepping towards the entry closet where said articles of clothing were.

“Need any help?”

She shot him a look. “Stiles. I am six months pregnant. I can do it.” She chided fondly. Stiles just nodded and turned to check on Lisbeth.

“Sure. Yeah. Totally. I’ll make sure Lisbeth’s overnight bag is packed.”

Rolling her eyes at her husband, Caroline let him go. “Your father is capable of taking care of our daughter for one night, Hon…” She called after him, pausing as she listened to his response.

“I know! I know. I’m just making sure we’ve got everything he’ll need.”

Caroline just shook her head and let him be. It was the first date night they’d had for a while and John had graciously (if not eagerly) volunteered to take his granddaughter for the night so Stiles and Coraline could have some time to themselves. That man was a godsend. So was Melissa. Those two had been a large help to the couple the first few weeks after Lisbeth had come home.

The sound of Stiles’ ringtone caught her attention and she lifted her head.

_Oh, lord, heaven knows_   
_We belong way down below_   
_Oh, lord, tell us so_   
_We belong way down below_   
_Way down below, way down below_   
_Way down below, way down below_

“Melissa?” Stiles’ voice sounded. Caroline frowned and got to her feet, making her way into the living room where Stiles was stood in the center of the room, phone to his ear and a frown on his face.

“Wh-what do you mean? …. Is everyone ok? …. Melissa?” He suddenly paled and the worry disappeared as a scary calm settled onto his features. “.......Oh…” he whispered, that one syllable coming out broken and small. “.....No….. No it’s ok…. Do I need to-.... ok…. no… I’ll be ok… yeah…. Yeah… Thanks… You too…” He lowered his phone and ended the call, staring at the screen for a long moment.

“Hon?” Caroline asked, stepping further into the room.

Brown eyes lifted to her and Stiles took a moment working his jaw while trying to figure out his words. “That was Melissa… I uh… There’s… been a change in plans for the night…” Caroline just waited patiently, watching him worried. She didn’t like the closed off expression he wore. He was always so expressive as long as she’d known him.

“Stiles?”

“Dad’s not coming. He uh… he was leaving work and….” He stopped here, jaw working as he tried to find the right words. “He was shot on his way to his car…”

“Oh god…” Caroline hissed, sucking in a sharp breath as she moved over to Stiles’ side. “Is he… is he going to be ok?”

Stiles just shook his head, swallowing harshly. “No… No he uh… He was dead when paramedics arrived….”

Shifting closer, Caroline wrapped her arms around him. She didn’t say anything as he clung to her. Didn’t mention a word when she felt tears against her neck.

The funeral was held on a surprisingly sunny day. Stiles was silent through most of it. He remained stoic, just letting the day go on and doing his best to get through it. The only things grounding him were Caroline and Lisbeth. And the single thought that at least his dad was with his mother again.

-

The last week of May found Caroline in the early stages of labor. She was tired, achey, and fed up with being pregnant, and she just wanted the baby out! Groaning, she paced around the room a bit more, Stiles watching her closely. He was worried. She could tell and it was driving her nuts.

“Sweetie, do you need anythin-”

“This baby out of me.” She snapped, agitated with his hovering. She loved him. She really did. But his face was beginning to make her nauseous.

“I know, love. Soon though. Just uh… keep walking? It should help.”

“I am walking!”

Stiles twitched and took a small barely noticeable step towards the door. “Sorry. Sorry.”

Sighing, Caroline ran a hand through her hair and let out a high pitched keen of frustration. She felt bloated. Her chest hurt. God her chest hurt. She was sick of big boobs. She wanted her mosquito bites back, damnit!

“But really do you need-”

“OUT!”

There was a yelp and Stiles was gone, the door shutting with a click behind him.

Two days of labor later, Czeslaw Jude Stilinski was born at midnight, the last day of May. Caroline had to fight Stiles to keep with his mother’s tradition of children’s names, Stiles finally giving in and picking a “reasonable monstrosity”. Stiles was a proud dad for the second time. Caroline demanded she get a prescription for birth control and told Stiles he wouldn’t be touching her for the next year.

That wasn’t an issue, however, when Stiles was sentenced to the couch for the foreseeable future. Of course, he’d brought it upon himself, when his daughter got her first look at her baby brother, pointed at him, and said “Shit!”

Somewhere, his parents were laughing at him.

-

“Oh my god… How is it possible that these children are even related to you?” Cora muttered, holding Lisbeth in her arms and looking over to where Allison and Kira were cooing over Czeslaw.

From where he stood, Stiles looked towards the Hale woman and snorted. “Gee. Thanks. I may be the ugly duckling, but one day I’ll become a beautiful swan. Just you wait and see.”

“Ok, Honey.” Caroline placated, patting him on the shoulder as she walked by.

The brunet spluttered for a moment before scoffing. “I’m being ganged up on. Just remember when you insult my looks, half the genetic material for those adorable bundles of pooping, screaming joy came from me.”

“Yes, dear.” Caroline called back.

“Isaac! Do you hear this!?” Stiles whined, looking towards the curly haired werewolf.

“I’m staying out of this one.” He muttered, shaking his head and stepping over to Allison and Kira.

“I see how it is.” Stiles grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. Caroline chuckled and made her way over, pulling him into a searing kiss before letting him go once more.

“I still think you’re sexy.” She purred, kissing him once more, a quick peck to prove her point. “Now would you mind running to the store and picking up a few things?”

In a daze, Stiles nodded, pulling Caroline close for another kiss. From the kitchen, Lydia groaned. 

“Oh my god, get a room!”

“Our house. We can do what we want where we want.” Stiles called back before leaning in to seal their lips in another kiss.

-

Life adjusted surprisingly easily with two children. Caroline was eager to record everything she could and Stiles was that energetic father that would willingly play with the kids until they were tired enough for a nap. Melissa was always there to help out when they needed it and before they knew it, Lisbeth was a few weeks away from being five and Jude (as they had taken to calling their son) had recently turned three.

It was a warm summer day and Stiles was out in the back yard with them. Lisbeth was running around, Stiles making sure she kept well enough away from the locked gate that lead to the deck around the pool. Jude was sticking close to Stiles, exploring the backyard happily as he tried to keep up the occasional butterfly.

It was beginning to cloud over slightly, but Stiles guessed they could get a couple more hours of sunlight in before the rain hit. He was just glad he didn’t have to work that day. He loved what he did, working with teenagers. But he cherished every moment he had with his kids. Watching them get older and take their first steps, he finally understood what his dad must have felt. He knew why it was worth the effort.

His phone rang and he snagged it from his pocket. Melissa was calling him and he felt a shock of worry go through him. “Melissa?”

“Stiles, you need to get to the hospital. It’s Caroline.”

He felt cold.

“Is she ok?”

“She’s in surgery now. You need to get here as soon as you can. Call Isaac and ask him to take the kids and then get here.”

“Ok… yeah, I’ll be there in a few.” He muttered, hanging up and dialing Isaac’s number. He didn’t spend much time on the phone. Just made sure Isaac would be over and then ushered his kids inside. Lisbeth protested until he promised her that uncle Isaac was coming over to spend time with her and Jude. The second Isaac got there, Stiles pulled him into a quick hug.

“Thank you…” he breathed, closing his eyes for a moment and taking a steadying breath. Letting it out, he stepped back and looked at Isaac. “I’ll call you when I get an update.” He promised, going to kiss Lisbeth and Jude before he left.

Stiles didn’t remember much of the drive to the hospital. He just remembered the low hanging clouds that slowly covered the sky and the dead silence once he shut off the radio. The second he entered the building, he was met with a flurry of activity.

“Stiles!”

His head snapped up and he spotted Melissa, the woman seated beside Caroline’s sister, Amelia. He hurried over and pulled Amelia into a hug when she stood.

The petite blonde just held onto him, her face buried in his shoulder. He just folded her into his arms and held her, rocking slightly side to side. Lifting his gaze to Melissa, he managed to find his voice.

“What happened?”

“She was apparently pushed off the road by a teenager. When officers arrested him, he was high and pretty out of it. The car… it flipped.” Melissa explained, keeping her voice as calm as she could.

“How is she?” The lack of a response that question got was frightening and Stiles felt his chest constrict. “Melissa…”

“It doesn’t look good.” She finally answered, voice soft with a hidden apology. A choked sob was coughed against his shoulder and held Amelia tighter. “We should be getting news here soon…”

They didn’t have to wait long. Amelia broke down and sobbed in Stiles’ hold while he quietly made the arrangements he needed. Melissa stood by offering what help she could. It was two hours before he was able to leave. Amelia had declined his offer to go back to the house, deciding to go to her parents’ house just an hour away and tell them in person. He let her take the car as hers was at the local shop. She’d been visiting a friend in town when it had broken down. She thanked him and promised to be by the house the next day. Melissa offered to drive him home.

It was raining by the time they got to the car. Huddling inside, Melissa started the engine and glanced over at the young man she’d had to see go through three losses. He’d grown up since the first, becoming a strong individual that was capable of amazing things. But to Melissa, she could still see that little boy that clung to his father as they buried his mother. And now he had to do the same for his wife and his father wasn’t there.

“Could you…. drive around for a bit?” Stiles whispered, keeping his head down. His cell phone was in hand, his grip around it tight as he tried to keep his hands from shaking. “I… I have to make a call, but I… I don’t want to do it at home… and I’d prefer if I were alone, but…”

“Of course… I’ll just focus on the road..” Melissa promised, putting the car into gear and pulling out onto the road.

“Thanks…”

He let out a shaky breath before punching in a familiar number. Seven years ago, he promised himself he wouldn’t do this. He would keep away and avoid the man and everything that had to do with him. He’d been the first one to really rip his heart apart when he’d left and Stiles had refused to give the man any thought. But now, sitting in the car with the death of his wife hanging heavily on his mind, he broke that promise he made to himself. Lifting the phone to his ear, he waited until the answering machine picked up.

“Hey… It’s uh… It’s me. Stiles. It’s been seven years. And I know I’m probably the last one you want to hear from, like… ever. But… I don’t… I don’t know who else to talk to…” He swallowed as his voice shook, the pitter patter of rain on the hood of the car nothing more than white noise to him as he focused on making his mouth move and words work. “A lot’s happened since you left. I don’t know if anyone’s been talking to you, but I got married… Have two beautiful kids… But today… today I lost my wife… and my dad’s already passed on and… I don’t really have anyone else I can talk to that would.. even have the faintest idea of where to start… But… I… I have no idea what to say. I have two kids at home, a five year old and a three year old, and I have to go back home and tell them mommy isn’t coming home. Won’t ever be coming home and I don’t know how I can… I just… Don’t know who to ask… I’m sorry if I bothered you. It’s probably better if you just ignored this and forget I ever called. Sorry.”

-

**Two years later…**

_“I have to go back home and tell them mommy isn’t coming home. Won’t ever be coming home and I don’t know how I can… I just… Don’t know who to ask… I’m sorry if I bothered you. It’s probably better if you just ignored this and forget I ever called. Sorry.”_

****

_Click_

****

Letting out a heavy sigh, the man hung up and ran a hand over his face. “Shit…” he muttered to himself. He knew he should have gone back sooner and now this. He really was an asshole.

****

He hefted his bag over his shoulder and made his way through the airport terminal, dialing up a commonly used number. It rang a moment before it was picked up.

****

“Derek?”

****

“Isaac? I’m at the San Francisco airport. Think you could pick me up?”

****

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah. That's it for the first chapter. Hopefully this turns out as good as I hope it will.


End file.
